to buy or not to buy?

I really don't fit any of the poll choices, so I didn't vote. Yes, I download, and yes, I buy, but I don't buy anything I download. Oppositely, I don't download anything I think I will potentially buy. My library of bought shows and my library of downloaded shows are completely different.

That's not to say I buy shows totally blind. I read up on them and stuff, and if I find something interesting I'll get it eventually, but I'll never preview it first. And for downloads, if the show seems good, but not purchase-worthy, I'll just download the entire series, without even considering buying it.

The only exceptions are shows I've seen on TV. If I'm watching something on TV, and it stops coming on all of a sudden (this mainly applies to shows I watch on Anime Network on Demand), I'll decide whether to buy or download depending on how far the series has aired. If it was only a few episodes, I'll probably just wind up buying it (like I did with Kaleido Star), but if it was over halfway done, I'll probably just download it (like I did with Azumanga Daioh).

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by aku

Have you have a good experience with this, because rcently there have been alot of shows that LOOKed and SOUNDED like that could have been increadable but after i downloaded and watched desided that well, i wouldnt by that even bootleg. Although, if i get through a show say ~13/26 episodes and i really really like it, i will say i stop watching it and by it if its out already, but i keep watching if its not out, or even licenced. And then buy it when its on dvd, and i find it cheap...ie Cromarite High, Wolf's Rain, Now and Then Here and There, Nadesico and Saikano(but even if i hadnt seen any of it, i would have picked it up condidering i go it for 19.99 ) but i was thinking about buying many things, Speed Grapher looked cool, and it became...not as great as i had hoped, Trinity Blood was another Gonzo ohno...these im glad i downloaded, because if i would have seen trinity blood in stores before seeing any of it, i would have picked it up, and been disappointed. Just wondering, bout how many of the series that you have gotten have been somewhat disappointing?

And Conversly, have you ever downloaded somthing and said, I HAVE TO HAVE THIS ON DVD?...thats what most if not all of my anime is from, i just fell completly inlove and couldnt let go...hints why i have to buy: FMA, Fafner, and Eureka 7 as soon as boxes come out for them(if you havnt looked into those check, they where/are great!)

About the first part, nope, that's never happened. I can honestly say I've loved every show I've ever bought (well, that I've bought seriously; I bought a volume of Eat-Man one time since it was only $2, but I didn't really like it). Of course, I don't really watch newer shows, so most of the shows I buy have had a chance to stand out over time (the newest show I have is Gantz, which I've wanted to get since I first read about it). If a show turned out to be really bad, I've would have known about it by the time I actually consider buying it.

And for the second part, I have to say no to that as well. There have been instances where I have downloaded a show and I wound up buying it before I even watched it (Noir comes to mind), but I've never watched a show I downloaded and then bought it later.

There's nowhere I can't reach.